Wednesday, July 6, 2011

SF Encyclopedia to be free online
The third edition of the prestigious Science Fiction Encyclopedia will be made available free online later this year with monthly updates through the end of 2012. Future plans include versions for electronic devices. Read the SF Encyclopedia announcement.

Hemingway wasn’t paranoid
Supposedly Ernest Hemingway descended into paranoia and then took his own life. Records obtained using the Freedom of Information Act present a different version. The unscrupulous director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, had Hemingway under surveillance for decades, including phone taps. Read the New York Times article.

Best SF and Fantasy books of 2011 so far according to Amazon editors
1. Among Others by Jo Walton
2. Embassytown by China Miéville
3. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. Harkness
4. 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America by Albert Brooks
5. Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
6. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Cory
7. Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
8. The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
9. The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham
10. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
I’ve read the first two novels and agree that they are likely among the best SF and Fantasy books of the year so far. I am at least tempted by most of the remaining books on the list. Read the Amazon list.